Relationship of Negative Stigmatization about Learning Disabilities and Student Academic Help-seeking Behaviors

Location

Online - Session 6B

Start Date

4-21-2021 6:00 PM

Major Field of Study

Psychology

Student Type

Undergraduate

Faculty Mentor(s)

Ian Madfes, PhD

Presentation Format

Poster Presentation

Abstract/Description

This study looks into students perception of learning disabilities, whether they view them as stigmatizing and whether this has an impact on their willingness to seek academic assistance in college.

Some students have difficulty with basic learning skills. These individuals are commonly said to have a “learning disability”, a label that comes with negative connotations. Students with learning challenges often face stigmatization and negative judgment from others (Daley et al., 2018).

People with learning disabilities may not always be seen as intelligent as others; this perception leads to lower expectations by educators; which then ends up leading to academic underperformance by the student. These lower expectations have also been shown to have a negative effect on the student’s self-image and self-esteem (Saracoglu et al., 1989).

Students with learning disabilities end up facing greater adversities than their peers. Among these may be inability to interact as socially. Many learning disabled students then try to hide their difficulties from others to avoid being social outcasts. This focus on a need to hide their difficulties results in students will not seeking help out; help seeking is diminished out of fear of openly identifying their disability and fear of what others will think of them (Hartman-Hall et al., 2002).

Learning disabled students are firstly "students" and the fears of stigmatization about help seeking is not limited to those with a disability. Other students, who haven’t been diagnosed with a disability, may avoid seeking help or asking questions in the classroom due to the same fears of being judged and thought of as being less intelligent. Bledsoe and Baskin (2014) found that fear of failure and being laughed at reduces a student’s potential at succeeding. It is logical that this also includes things that might enhance that success.The hypothesis of the study is that students who find learning disorders more stigmatizing, will be less likely to ask instructors for help when they are having difficulty due to fears of being judge negatively by others.

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Apr 21st, 6:00 PM

Relationship of Negative Stigmatization about Learning Disabilities and Student Academic Help-seeking Behaviors

Online - Session 6B

This study looks into students perception of learning disabilities, whether they view them as stigmatizing and whether this has an impact on their willingness to seek academic assistance in college.

Some students have difficulty with basic learning skills. These individuals are commonly said to have a “learning disability”, a label that comes with negative connotations. Students with learning challenges often face stigmatization and negative judgment from others (Daley et al., 2018).

People with learning disabilities may not always be seen as intelligent as others; this perception leads to lower expectations by educators; which then ends up leading to academic underperformance by the student. These lower expectations have also been shown to have a negative effect on the student’s self-image and self-esteem (Saracoglu et al., 1989).

Students with learning disabilities end up facing greater adversities than their peers. Among these may be inability to interact as socially. Many learning disabled students then try to hide their difficulties from others to avoid being social outcasts. This focus on a need to hide their difficulties results in students will not seeking help out; help seeking is diminished out of fear of openly identifying their disability and fear of what others will think of them (Hartman-Hall et al., 2002).

Learning disabled students are firstly "students" and the fears of stigmatization about help seeking is not limited to those with a disability. Other students, who haven’t been diagnosed with a disability, may avoid seeking help or asking questions in the classroom due to the same fears of being judged and thought of as being less intelligent. Bledsoe and Baskin (2014) found that fear of failure and being laughed at reduces a student’s potential at succeeding. It is logical that this also includes things that might enhance that success.The hypothesis of the study is that students who find learning disorders more stigmatizing, will be less likely to ask instructors for help when they are having difficulty due to fears of being judge negatively by others.